‘Wild, Wild West’ coming to Gothenburg

The “Wild, Wild West” will transform the town Sept. 19-21 when Gothenburg celebrates the 99th Annual Harvest Festival.

New events include a Tailwheel Rally, an airplane-flying event at the Gothenburg Airport, and an impersonation of American cowboy, actor and author Will Rogers at the Sun Theatre.

Events kick off Thursday night with a Farmer’s Market and the annual Pooch Parade/Dog Show in Ehmen Park.

The Farmer’s Market is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the dog show begins at 5:30 p.m. Registration forms are available at the dog show.

Although the Tailwheel Rally actually begins at the airport on Wednesday, Sept. 18, the main events will be Friday, Sept. 20, and Saturday, Sept. 21.

Beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, Earl Bates will play “Will Rogers in the 21st Century” at the Sun Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a free-will donation toward new chairs and other improvements at the theatre.

Friday’s activities begin with an all-day antique tractor display at the airport that continues through Saturday, Sept. 21.

The annual kids parade is set to begin at 6 p.m. at Ehmen Park. Line up will begin at 5:45 p.m.

From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., participants can get hot dogs, chips and water with a free-will donation for a towel/warmer blanket at Hilltop Estates.

At 6 p.m., the airport is host to a “Whole Hog Hangar Party” at the north hangar with a luau and entertainment. Lucky Chuck’s will provide food at $6 a plate.

Starting off Saturday morning, Sept. 21, will be the Lions Club Fly-in Breakfast where pilots flying in and the general public can eat pancakes and sausage for $5.

The event is from 7 to 10 a.m.

Runners, with or without their dogs, will gather at the shelter at Lake Helen for a 7:30 a.m. run.

The annual Dog-N-Jog is a five-kilometer (3.1 miles) or one-mile fun run. Proceeds go to the United Way and registration forms are available at Eastside Animal Center.

Parade participants will line up at 9:30 a.m. for the annual Harvest Festival parade, which starts at 10:30. Parade headquarters are at the intersection of 27th Street and Lake Avenue.

The parade is on Lake Avenue from 20th Street to Ninth St.

Representatives of Gothenburg’s Sun Theatre, which has been selected as the grand marshal for the festival, will lead the parade.

Several activities are scheduled in and around Ehmen Park after the parade.

Food booths, arts, crafts, kids’ games, a dunking booth and jumping toys will be offered in the park.

From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Gothenburg Historical Museum, at 15th Street and Avenue F, will host a collections display for the public to view.

The United Methodist Church will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

If the day is hot, the public can cool off with a free movie at 1 p.m. in the Sun Theatre.

The movie will be “Despicable Me 2” and for every 25 people that show up for the movie, Gothenburg State Bank will donate a new seat to the “Comfort Counts” seat campaign.

Concessions will be available.

The Pedal Tractor Pull will be in the Shopko Hometown parking lot beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Kids, ages 4-12 and adults, can compete to qualify for the 2014 State Fair.

Entry fees are a dollar for children and $5 for adults and will be taken at the event.

One of the last activities of the day is the Farm Chore Relay Race which is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. west of Shopko and Orscheln Farm and Home.

Teams of four, with one four-wheeler, will compete for time doing various farm chores.

Registration is at the Gothenburg Chamber of Commerce office at the corner of 10th Street and Lake Avenue.

Ending this year’s festival will be a teen dance for students, grades seven through 12, at the tennis courts by the swimming pool, from 8 to 11 p.m.

In case of inclement weather, the dance will be moved to the American Lutheran Church.

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